The Definition of Dessert

We don't eat bread, so this is what I use my toaster for
(unplugged of course)

When most people think of desserts they think of cookies, cakes, ice cream or pie. When I think of dessert, I think of anything that is processed such as bread, cereal, dairy, snack bars, frozen dinners, pasta, fast food and more.

When trying to eat healthy focusing on eating real food is the key. If you use this simple rule it will clarify and simplify most health questions or issues.

Does it have a long ingredients list? If it does, then odds are it is not going to be healthy. Can you pronounce the ingredients on the list? If you can’t read it, don’t eat it.

A cucumber, pineapple or venison does not have an ingredients list, obviously. But bread, Vitamin Water and Nutri-grain bars on the other hand have a long, unprounceable ingredients list.

If you can find something in nature and eat it then it’s going to be healthy. The more levels of processing something has been through, the unhealthier it is for you.

For example, a blueberry picked directly from the wild can be eaten, but for you to eat grain from a field it has to go through different levels of processing and typically contains made in a lab nutrients or fiber added back into it because they were damaged during the processing of the food.

The next time you are eating a meal think about it from a real food or dessert food perspective. Healthy protein, fruits and vegetables are real food. Processed food such as dairy, grains and packaged food is dessert.

Eat real, healthy, nutritious food 80 percent of the time. The other 20 percent of the time, enjoy dessert! But now you know to choose your dessert wisely... a piece of bread or a piece of cake?

Because it is all the same.

NBC 25: Tips for Meditating

by Joel Feick, NBC 25

NBC Reporter Brittany Shannon and Dr. Dan Kehres

Our lives are full of stress. Work. Money. Family. Stress. Stress. Stress.

Local chiropractor and healthy living advocate Dr. Dan Kehres says after a while, all that stress takes a toll on your overall health. On NBC 25 Today, Dr. Kehres says we all need to take steps, everyday to relax. Perhaps meditation is your way to do it. There are breathing techniques you can learn. You can consider yoga. Anything that takes you away from reality for about 20 minutes to find your quiet place.

For more on Dr. Kehres: drkehres.com

Inspiration: Make Your Health a Priority

NBC 25: Sleep Tips for Reducing Stress

Saginaw Chiropractor Dr. Dan Kehres, seen on NBC 25. Article by Joel Feick, NBC 25

Need some beauty sleep? A Saginaw chiropractor says forget the beauty. Proper sleep helps with overall health. Dr. Dan Kehres, a regular contributor to NBC 25 Today, says there are ways to help you get better sleep. One is by taking melatonin, which you can find in a health food store. The other is to create a dark environment, blocking as much sunlight as possible that comes into your bedroom.

Dr. Kehres' website also says "in order to allow your body full recovery time during the sleep cycle, reduction of cortisol is essential. Stimulants such as caffeine, sugar and tobacco all increase cortisol. It has been shown that caffeine has a half life of six hours. So, if you drink a cup of coffee at 4 p.m. with 400 mg of caffeine you will still have 200 mg of caffeine in your system six hours later at 10 p.m. Due to caffeine’s long lasting effects, try to avoid it after lunch and in the evenings."

He also showed us a cool alarm that features a light that slowly wakes you up (see video above).

More on his website at www.drkehres.com 

Here's a video he made about sleep http://www.drkehres.com/2011/12/simple-sleep-tips.html

The difference between healthy meat and unhealthy meat

There is a big difference between grain-fed, farm-raised meat and grass-fed, free range meat.

Animals are meant to roam free and either eat grass or forage for food, when you feed them grains it makes them sick so they typically have to be given antibiotics. This causes their meat to become not only inflammatory from the grains but loaded with antibiotics.

factory farm vs. free-range cows

Look for antibiotic-free and organic meat. Or even better, meet the farmer that raised the meat. They will be able to tell you exactly how the animal was raised, including if the animal was given any antibiotics. 

Some countries have already taken steps against unhealthy meat. For example, a Pew Health study said "Recognizing the potential for a health crisis, Denmark began restricting antibiotics used for growth promotion in broiler chickens and adult swine in 1998. Today, all uses of antibiotics in food animals must be accompanied by a prescription in a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship, and there cannot profit from the sale of antibiotics."